Weddbook

Woodland Luxe Wedding in October

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Emma and Ajay's October wedding had a 'Woodland Luxe' theme. They wanted the day to feel cosy and for nature to be everywhere. They used Autumnal accents such as acorns, ferns and moss rather than flowers, and had stag and horns motifs used throughout.

"We were inspired by our mutual love of nature (particularly majestic countryside creatures such as owls and stags)", said the bride, "but also high-end details and timeless beauty with a modern twist."

"We love food and we know our friends and family do too so this was a big consideration for us. We also knew there would be a lot of people meeting for the first time, so to ensure the ice was fully broken when they all sat down to eat, everyone had to muck in with the platters which were served to the tables. We wanted the feeling of a big Sunday lunch you'd have with family and it worked a treat, everyone said they'd never eaten this way at a wedding before but loved the idea."

"We also surprised our guests with a falconer who brought along owls and did a talk while we went to have our couple snaps taken. The birds were stunning and it really made the day memorable!"

"I wish I'd known before we started planning how you don't have to 'have it all' and people won't judge you for it". she continued. "There's a lot of pressure to have all the right 'stuff' at a wedding (I blame Pinterest, blogs and websites who exclusively feature weddings with huge budgets, and the industry in general for having too many options!) We had to make some cut-throat choices due to budget so didn't end up hiring a band or photo booth. I was really worried people would expect these things or not enjoy themselves, but that's all bloody rubbish!"

The ceremony was a real highlight for both of them. "I walked down the aisle to Ben Howard Only Love, with my Dad leading me to our altar (where I promptly cracked a joke about listening to Shirley Bassey in a Bond car because I was so nervous and it's what I do!). I saw a sea of faces we both love and I tried to keep myself together as my beautiful Godmother led the ceremony and did a stunning, personal reading for us. We both just about made it through our vows and the whole time I had the mixed sensations of how big the moment was but how right it felt too. When it came to swapping rings, our best man and maid of honour used a hammer to gently crack open speckled, handmade eggs, which housed our rings inside (quirky but tied in with the woodland theme, they had nests and everything... and I have no shame!). With the rings on and the ceremony having come to an end, we had the chance to greet everyone as they passed to go outside to prepare to throw confetti, and it was so emotional hugging all these people stood there in a wedding dress! I was just so glad the rain held off for us to get classic confetti shots outside the hall, for some reason it's always been a big thing I wanted to do at my wedding...and we did it!"

The biggest costs from the £15,000 budget were food and photography. "Both these things were too important to scrimp on and we are so glad we didn't", she said. "I also read an article in one of the previous issues of Rock n Roll Bride early on during planning and the sage advice only reaffirmed just how important it was that we had nothing but the best when it came to the grub and snaps."

"We saved a lot in areas due to DIY and very generous friends. To name but a few, we created our own photo booth with cheap props for guests to take their own pictures, our friend ended up DJ'ing for the wedding as a gift, our talented friend made our stunning wedding cake and Ajay designed all our wedding stationery and website as he is a graphic designer by trade."

"The best thing about the wedding was all the times we sat together as a couple and brought our collective creative ideas to the table", she concluded. "Being able to see what a great team we could be before even walking down the aisle was so good."